UFC interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao had a single goal in mind, but in a flash, that was all taken away.

After winning the interim belt at July’s UFC 149 event, Barao (29-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) had hoped to book a fight with division champion Dominick Cruz (19-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in an effort to unify the two belts.

Now that Cruz is back on the shelf, Barao said he’s happy to take on any of the bantamweight division’s top contenders, including the name that seems to be mentioned the most: Michael McDonald (15-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC).

“I was OK with the news because a lot of people were already speculating that I wasn’t going to face Cruz,” Barao told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) through a translator. “I wasn’t that focused on him. I’ll be prepared for whoever they put against me.”

Cruz hasn’t fought since an October 2011 title-defense victory over Demetrious Johnson. He was slated to face former WEC champ Urijah Faber this summer before a torn ACL forced him out of the bout. After surgery, Cruz was targeting a return to the octagon in early 2013. However, his body recently rejected the cadaver ligament he was given during his ACL surgery, and he was forced to endure a second procedure.

Barao had intended to wait for a fight with Cruz, but the second surgery now makes that impossible.

“My goal was to fight him because I wanted to unify the belts, but unfortunately he isn’t in any condition for that,” Barao said.

Cruz’s injury would seem to clear the way for Barao to face McDonald, an opponent UFC President Dana White casually mentioned in recent weeks as a likely contender for the interim belt.

Barao admits he was already anticipating a potential fight with “Mayday” even before the news of Cruz’s second procedure surfaced.

“I already had it in my mind that I could fight McDonald,” Barao said. “He’s coming off of good wins and good knockouts. It makes sense.”

McDonald fought most recently at April’s UFC 145 event, where he scored an impressive first-round knockout of former WEC champ Miguel Torres. The once-beaten McDonald is 5-0 under the Zuffa banner and at just 21 years old appears to be one of the division’s brightest prospects.

McDonald’s layoff was also due to injury after he underwent surgery to repair ligaments in his hand. However, he recently told MMAjunkie.com that he’s resumed full training and would like to fight in early 2013.

UFC officials have yet to make an official announcement, but Barao said with the Cruz fight now an impossibility, he’s happy to take on anyone the promotion wants to put in front of him.

“I really wanted to face Cruz, but this injury doesn’t affect me in any way,” Barao said. “I never stop training, and I’m here to fight anyone. I will always give it my best.”

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